Agenda item

Report No: OAS/SE/18/032

[Councillor John Burns re-joined the meeting at 5.29pm to collect his belongings, and left the meeting at 5.30pm prior to the vote taking place on this item.

Councillor Paula Fox left the meeting at 5.30pm prior to the vote taking place on this item].

Councillor Diane Hind presented Report No: OAS/SE/18/032, which summarised the review of the Bury St Edmunds Christmas Fayre and presented a draft Action Plan (Appendix F) for taking forward the recommendations from the Christmas Fayre Joint Task and Finish Group. 

On 18 and 19 April 2018, both St Edmundsbury and Forest Heath Overview and Scrutiny Committees resolved to establish a Joint West Suffolk Task and Finish Group (the Task Group) to complete a review of the Bury St Edmunds Christmas Fayre. The Group met to discuss the planned approach to the review and to consider the specific areas to be explored.  It was agreed that the review would explore the following areas:

-        Principle and ownership

-        Vision

-        Timing and length

-        Format and venues

-        Type of stalls

-        Links to wider economy (retail and tourism)

-        Transport and accessibility

-        Finance

-        Staffing and volunteers

-        Safety and Security

-        Examples from other places

-        Communications and marketing

-        Management and resources

The report summarised the review of the Bury St Edmunds Christmas Fayre and presented a proposed three-year action plan for taking forward the recommendations from the Task Group. It also included an introduction; the background to the review; engagement; evidence base and Christmas Fayre review findings and recommendations.  Also attached to the report were a number of appendices, namely:

Appendix A – Christmas Fayre key details document.

Appendix B – 2015 Christmas Fayre Review Action Plan and progress table.

Appendix C – Christmas Fayre Engagement/surveys summary document.

Appendix D – Information from Christmas Fayres held in other places and scheduled of Christmas events in West Suffolk.

Appendix E – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats document.

Appendix F – Proposed Three Year Action Plan.

The Portfolio Holder for Planning and Growth then thanked the Committee for the opportunity to address the Committee, and commended the Task Group on its work which had resulted in the recommendations being proposed. She then updated members on how important it was to ensure the safety of the public at events, and referred to paragraph 5.32 in the report.  She explained that two weeks ago, the Council led a table-top exercise to test how all partners would be able to respond in the event of an incident occurring at the Fayre.  This unfortunately took place after the Task Group’s final meeting, but raised some important points and hoped the Overview and Scrutiny Committee would support an additional recommendation arising from the review.  This would add the following wording to Appendix F on “Safety and Security” as follows:

“An Independent Peer Review of the Council’s Command and Management of the Christmas Fayre and Event Safety Plan is commissioned.  This should consider the management and skills/expertise to deliver the roles required, learning and development as well as whether the skills set within the organisations involved are fit for purpose for continuing to deliver the Plan in the future.  The recommendations of the review will be considered by the Chief Executive in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Growth”.

In addition, the Portfolio Holder suggested a further minor change for the purposes of clarity; in Appendix F under “Finance”, which states “Contact town centre organisations offering them the opportunity to contribute towards the Christmas Fayre”.  She proposed that the word “organisations” be replaced with “stakeholders”, as this felt a broader word which potentially captures all parties who might contribute. 

The Committee then scrutinised the report in detail and asked a number of questions to which comprehensive responses were provided.

Some members of the Committee broadly supported parts of the report, but felt it lacked forward thinking and ambition, and suggested the Task Group could have done more, such as reviewing the timing and length of the Christmas Fayre; comparing actual like-for-like examples of other Fayres with Bury’s Christmas Fayre; the mix, types and location of stalls; more promotion of the Fayre such as having souvenirs (mugs for mulled wine); and involving Bury Town Council in the review. 

Concerns were also raised about too many people being set in one location for short periods of time due to health and safety. 

Some members also felt that there was a general misunderstanding about what the Bury Fayre was about, and suggested it needed a complete make-over to become “Christmas in Bury St Edmunds”.  Some members felt it should be run more along the lines of “continental Christmas Markets” with stalls throughout the town, and various examples of continental markets were provided.

In response to concerns raised by members, the Committee was informed that the Task Group had looked at all of the issues which had been raised, including options for the length and time of the Fayre, which was set out in paragraphs 5.12 and 5.16 of the report.  The Task Group had also looked at five different cities and a SWOT analysis had been carried out.  It was proposed that a stall audit would be carried out this year to capture the views from stall holders on the Fayre. In addition to safety and security being considered as part of the Review, the proposed amendments put forward by the Portfolio Holder to Appendix F to include an “Independent Peer Review”, would pick up a number of points expressed by members about potential risks with crowd management at all parts of the Fayre, if agreed. 

Councillor Diane Hind who chaired the Task Group, informed members that the Task Group had looked at extending the time, and her wish and hope would be to have a Fayre with more of a Christmas feel in future. 

In response to a question raised on when work would start on the 2019 Fayre, members were informed that work would be starting now, for next.

The Committee was unanimous in wanting the Fayre to continue and suggested an amendment in addition to the Portfolio Holders proposed recommendations, in that an annual report be brought back to the Committee next year.  It was further suggested that it should include feedback from the Destination Management Organisation and Our Bury St Edmunds on the willingness and desire to have additional stalls throughout the town over a longer period of time.

In response members were advised that one of the recommendations of the Task Group was than an annual report be undertaken to reflect on feedback provided from each event and this could also look at responses received from the stall holders audit/survey year on year, over the period of the proposed three year plan.

Councillor Mike Chester then moved the recommendations, this was duly seconded by Councillor Paul Hopfensperger, and with the vote being unanimous, it was:

          RECOMMENDED: That

1)  The Christmas Fayre Review Report (OAS/SE/18/032) and the Three-Year Action Plan (Appendix F), be approved, subject to the inclusion of the following paragraph in Appendix F under “Safety and Security”:

“An Independent Peer Review of the Council’s Command and Management of the Christmas Fayre and Event Safety Plan is commissioned.  This should consider the management and skills/expertise to deliver the roles required, learning and development as well as whether the skills set within the organisations involved are fit for purpose for continuing to deliver the Plan in the future.  The recommendations of the review will be considered by the Chief Executive in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Growth”.

2)  To modify the Finance Section, contained in Appendix F, in order to replace the word “organisations” with the word “stakeholders”

3)  That the Shadow Executive (Cabinet) be recommended to accept the above recommendations (1 and 2 above), subject to an Annual Report on the Christmas Fayre being presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and specifically in 2019, to report back on discussions with the Destination Management Organisation and the BID (Our Bury St Edmunds) on willingness; desire of businesses to have/provide additional Christmas stalls throughout the town, over a longer period to create “Christmas in Bury”.

[Councillor Richard Rout left the meeting at 5.49pm following the vote taking place].